Hazel the schnauzer and Wrigley the black lab mix mean everything to Harriet Buscombe. The dogs protect her on her pre-dawn runs around her Champaign, Ill., neighborhood, but mostly they make her feel great.

"My children are grown now and having dogs around keeps me 'still a mom' in many respects," Buscombe said in an email interview. "I always feel a lot better — like all of my problems have lessened — because I have spent times with my dogs."

The loving link between baby boomers like 49-year-old Buscombe and their pets is well documented. Boomers — typically defined as the generation born from 1946 through 1964 — are a major reason why Americans' spending on the likes of food, grooming, kennels, surgery, even souvenirs, is expected to top $52 billion this year.

"Boomers are different, for the most part," said Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association. "What did they call us? Helicopter parents, because we were constantly hovering over the kids. The kids left home and now we're looking to hover over something else. And so we wind up doing it over pets."

Pet ownership rates tend to drop among people in their golden years. And boomers are starting to hit retirement age, with the oldest boomers turning 66 this year. The pet industry is already looking years ahead to when aging boomers eventually could be tempted — or forced — to give up high-maintenance dogs and cats because of fixed incomes, smaller homes or physical limitations. Routine veterinarian care alone can run $248 a year for a dog, according to an industry survey.

"I'm in a bit of a conundrum. I want to own a dog until the day I die, but it haunts me to think of dying and leaving a dog I've bonded with without a best friend," said Mike Lewis of Anchorage, Alaska.

At 55, Lewis is healthy, but he is thinking ahead. Lewis and his wife have three dogs now, but he says given his age, he probably has bought his last puppy. If he gets another new dog, it will be an older rescue.

Pampered pets
It's estimated that about 73 million American households keep pets. A report last month from the market research company Packaged Facts found that the generation after the boomers, Gen X, actually has higher pet ownership rates. But the spending habits of boomers — a generation that represents about a quarter of the population — is significant. And boomers do spend a lot, particularly "empty nesters" with children gone from the home, Vetere said.

Boomers — with their desire for flexibility and mobility — are sinking money into products and services previous generations never considered, like automatic feeding devices and litter boxes or pet-sitting services, Vetere said. They often treat their pets like humans, purchasing gluten-free dog food and heated kitty beds. The Nielsen Co. reported in 2010 that boomer households spent $211 a year on pet food, more than any other age group.

In suburban Detroit, Donna Blain has purchased comfy beds for her Yorkshire terrier-Pomeranian mix, Lola, as well as a wicker bike basket with a cage on the top and about 20 dresses.

In its report Packaged Facts noted that "pet product makers cannot afford to take Boomers for granted."

Benefit goes both ways
Already, the industry is promoting the benefits of pets for older people. The pet association is a founding sponsor (along with Petco and Pfizer Animal Health) of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the positive role animals play in people's health.

The group's website touts the role animals have in lowering blood pressure and reducing anxiety.

The pets-have-a-benefit message applies to people of all ages, but the argument might strike a deep chord with older people.

"For us, they bring a really a tremendous amount of joy, you know, because after your kids are gone your house is kind of empty and they're just a lot of fun, good company," said 70-year-old Phyllis Singler, of Philadelphia. She and her 61-year-old husband lead an active retirement with boating and trips to Florida and Europe.

The couple owns two biewers, Natty and Gio, that go almost everywhere they do. And when they can't, they hire a sitter. There's a provision in their will to set aside money so their children can care for the dogs, if need be.

Some researchers caution that the good of pet ownership has to be weighed against the bad. Hal Herzog, a professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, said there are so many studies on the "pet effect" with conflicting results that it remains an "uncorroborated hypothesis." Herzog, author of "Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat" noted, for instance, that the Centers for Disease Control estimated there are almost 87,000 falling injuries each year related to cats and dogs.

Video: Man spends $60K to get custody of dog

Closed captioning of: Man spends $60K to get custody of dog

>>>back now at 7:42 with a butter custody battle over a dog.
craig
says his ex-girlfriend kidnapped his dog and he's waging an expensive fight to get that dog back. we're going to talk to him exclusively in just a moment. first nbc's mar were schiavocampo has details for us. good morning.

>>good morning, ann. the adorable dog at the center of this dispute is named
knuckles
. dershewicz says he should be back here in new
york
, instead of in
california
with his ex-girlfriend. and she says he's lying and
knuckles
was a gift. now it's a cross-country war of the exes giving new meaning to the term
dog fight
. with floppy ears and a squishy pug face,
craigdershowitz
says
knuckles
or knuck for short, is so much more than just his
best friend
.

>>knuckles
is my son and i don't mean to come off as if he's more important than actual
human child
, but to me he is.

>> reporter: but
dershowitz
, a new yorker, says he hasn't seen his pugle in many months, since his ex-girlfriend
sarahbrega
moved away to
california
and took 3-year-old
knuckles
along.

>>knuckles
is part of my family. i was with him since he was 4 months old.

>> reporter: they got knuck while still a couple says
dershowitz
, but there's no question,
knuckles
belongs to him.

>>i bought
knuckles
. i actually spent the money, i was his
care taker
for the most part.

>> reporter: so with
knuckles
2500
miles away
, now
dershowitz
isn't just sad, he's suing. in court papers filed in new
york
,
dershowitz
claims
sarah
breger has kidnapped
knuckles
.

>>it's a property dispute. it's a theft.

>> reporter: in the meantime,
dershowitz
insists the dispute's getting very costly. 60 grand and counting, he says. and it's wiped out his life savings. so, he's posted a rescue knuck
video online
, asking strangers to pitch in.

>>he's just so loving and so sweet and warm. the only problem is my ex-girlfriend stole him. now this is my dog in every way imaginable.

>> reporter: she vehemently disputes his account.

>>we paid for the dog together. we split everything 50/50. vet bills,
day care
bills. everything was divvied up and split.

>> reporter: after the breakup she says
dershowitz
left
knuckles
with her and her family for eight months. she says
knuckles
was an unconditional gift.

>>he claims that he was trying to find a home for the dog. and i did take the dog to
california
. i didn't need to check with him, it wasn't his dog.

>> reporter: she's fighting back in court to dismiss the case.
brega
says it's all about revenge.

>>i don't think it's about the dog. i think it's about the fact that i moved on with my life, and moved to
california
.

>> reporter: knuckles
is better off with her, she says.

>>he does feel like my son. i am his mom. i look forward to every day when i come home and see him. it is emotional, and i wouldn't be okay if i lost him.

>>this is a simple case, will the facts show that this dog was actually a gift? ultimately, though, the judge will also look at what's in the
best interests
of this dog.

>> reporter: it's a bitter case, but when it comes to who gets
knuckles
, it's also one of dogged determination.

>>the most important thing to me is getting
knuckles
back. and i'm going to do whatever that takes.

>> reporter: now the core legal question in this case is who actually owns the dog. unlike with
child custody
battles, animals are considered property under the law. ann?

>>all right, mara schiavocampo, thank you so much.
craigdershowitz
is now joining us exclusively along with his attorney. good morning to both of you.
craig
let's start with this, what we just heard in this piece, that
sarah
is saying that you unconditionally gifted this dog to her.

>>absolutely --

>>do you have a response?

>>yes, i did not. that's silly. when i moved back to new
york
and i was looking for a place to live, she held onto him while i found an appropriate apartment. and he was supposed to come back after that.

>>she also told nbc news the documents you provided to prove sole ownership are without merit and she goes on to say that she paid the vet bills, she fed, sheltered and cared for
knuckles
since he was eight weeks old. and as you heard in the piece she said this is about revenge. it's not about a dog. it's about revenge for her breaking up with you. i'm starting to see why this relationship didn't work out. but would you like to comment on that?

>>when i called the veto actually get the bills, as well as the doggie
day care
they didn't even remember her name. they're like,
craig
, of course, how are you? what do you need? so, if she paid the bills, i don't remember that. as far as revenge, this is an expensive revenge. not something i want to do. i've actually -- i'm happy she's moved to
california
. i just want
knuckles
back here with me.

>>so how is this going to move forward? you want to weigh in, these are not, these are property laws we're dealing with.

>>the law treats a dog as a what they call chattel, which is a property. it's like a pen or a watch, something of that nature. right now, the battle is being waged in two courts here in new
york
, as well as in
california
. and miss
brega
in the new
york
court really hasn't challenged the merits of the case. she's only challenged it on procedural grounds, claiming that new
york
is not the proper venue for the lawsuit.

>>i think, you know, some
people watching
might say, this is much ado about nothing. however, we should mention there are a lot of
animal lovers
out there who feel as strongly about their pets as you and your former or ex-girlfriend do. i was curious, as you were watching the piece,
craig
, you said embarrassing. that it's embarrassing. is that the way you feel?

>>i mean, i grew up with a lot of pride. and so to be out on tv pleading for money, which is what it looks like for a lot of people, just to have my name and my face out there on something of this nature, it's embarrassing. it's not something i did lightly. i just was forced to do it.

>>you know, you, you talk about leading pore money, you're asking for people to contribute to your legal bills.

>>yes.

>>through the internet. there are a lot of great charities that people should contribute to. why do you think that they should contribute to you?

>>absolutely, that's a great question. i'm looks just for small bits. and most of the donations so far have been $20 or less. and i think that give bigger charities to the places that deserve it. there's very important charities out there and i give every year, of course. but this is something that with just a small amount you can make a large difference.

>>and if you could speak to
sarah
-- first of all are you in communications or all or no contact?

>>no contact.

>>if you could speak to her right now what would you want to say to her?

>>just let's get over this, bring
knuckles
back. really there's nothing else going on. contact me however, through my attorneys, i just want
knuckles
home where you know he belongs.

Swim with the fishes

A South Korean diver clads in soccer uniform swims with sardines for South Korean team's success in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil at the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, on June 9.
(Chung Sung-jun / Getty Images)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Check out my hair

Brazilian fans gather in the surroundings of the FIFA Fan Fest in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, on June 12.
(Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Heading

Twenty-one-year-old female seal Sarasa balances a ball during a new show in support of the national football team for the upcoming the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament, at the Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo, on June 5.
(Issei Kato / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Get it! Get it!

A dog wearing Brazil's team colors arrives for the Group F match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, on June 15.
(Alexandre Loureiro / Getty Images)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Predictive penguin

Two-year-old African penguin named Aochan, wearing the Japanese soccer team jersey, prepares to make a prediction on the result of Japan's 2014 World Cup soccer match against Ivory Coast at Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo, on June 13.
(Issei Kato / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Sea lion soccer

Six-year-old female sea lion Chanto, wearing Japan's national soccer team uniform, controls a ball during a new show in support of the national football team for the upcoming the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament, at the Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo, on June 5.
(Issei Kato / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Fishy foreshadowing

Archerfish predict Japan's victory in their 2014 World Cup soccer match against Ivory Coast by hitting the plate coated with bait and written with the word "Win" at Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo, on June 13.
(Issei Kato / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Norman knows

The armadillo called Norman, Germany's World Cup oracle, approaches the soccer ball representing Germany as he makes his prediction for the team's opening World Cup match against Portugal on June 16, at the zoo in Muenster, Germany, on June 13.
(Ina Fassbender / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Sporting the colors

A Mexican soccer fan walks her dog, clad in a jersey of Mexico's team, after Mexico's win over Cameroon in their 2014 World Cup soccer match, at the Angel de la Independencia monument in Mexico City, on June 13.
(Stringer/mexico / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Going for the goal

An otter plays with a soccer ball at the Zoo of Santa Fe in the city of Medellin, Colombia, on June 12.
(Luis Eduardo Noriega / EPA)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Enthusiastic elephant

People look at an elephant painted with the Brazil flag during a performance to celebrate the 2014 World Cup in Bangkok, on June 13.
(Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

When doves fly

A dove flies after being released before the start of the 2014 World Cup opening match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo June 12.
(Ivan Alvarado / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Another octopus oracle

An octopus named Hacchan predicts Japan's victory in their 2014 World Cup soccer match against Ivory Coast by choosing the mock goal with the Japanese national flag, at Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo, on June 13.
(Issei Kato / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Winner!

A dog with a Brazilian flag sticker on its head, touches a replica of the World Cup trophy as a visitor takes pictures during an event to celebrate the upcoming 2014 World Cup, in Wuhan, China, on June 12.
(Darley Shen / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Patriotic pup

A dog wearing a Chilean national soccer team jersey plays with Chilean national flags beore the start of its travel with its owners from Valparaiso city to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, on June 6.
(Eliseo Fernandez / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Sheep support

A sheep, dressed in a jersey in the colors of the Colombian national soccer team, grazes on grass during an exhibition, prior to the 2014 World Cup in Nobsa, Colombia, on June 1.
(Jose Miguel Gomez / Reuters)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Psychic turtle

A turtle named "Cabecao," or Big Head, swims in a pool in Praia do Forte, Brazil, on June 10. The turtle, Brazil's answer to German octopus Paul who started the psychic animal craze during the 2010 World Cup.
(Lucio Tavora / AP)
ShareBack to slideshow navigation

Editor's note:
This image contains graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing.

In a highly-anticipated speech to Congress Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that a potential nuclear deal being negotiated by major powers including the United States "paves Iran's path to the bomb."